French military intelligence rules out ‘Russian invasion plans’ for Ukraine

France’s intelligence chief has questioned NATO’s claims of Russia preparing to attack Ukraine as their agents failed to spot any activities signaling this - either before or after the crisis began.

A statement by the chief of France’s military intelligence,
General Christophe Gomart, was published on the National Assembly’s website.

“NATO announced that the Russians were about to invade
Ukraine. But, according to French intelligence, there is nothing
to corroborate this hypothesis – we determined that the Russians
were deploying neither command posts nor logistical facilities,
including field hospitals, needed for a military incursion,”
General Gomart told a parliamentary hearing.

NATO’s top brass has been incanting mantras about a “Russian
invasion” ever since the crisis in Ukraine began a year ago. NATO
Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, as well as his predecessor
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, have lashed at Russia on numerous
occasions, claiming that the Russian military is present on the
ground in Ukraine, but failing to provide evidence supporting
these claims.

“Our conclusion eventually proved correct because even if
some Russian soldiers had indeed been seen on the Ukrainian side
of the border, it was just a ploy, meant to bring pressure to
bear on President Poroshenko, rather than an attempt to invade
Ukraine,” General Gomart said.

The French intelligence chief’s remarks came in the context of
France’s role in NATO. Gomart noted that at the moment the
alliance is dominated by US intelligence, while France’s
intelligence is taken not taken into consideration so much.

“France will not be fooled. France has its own sources of
information and we are aware what the explanation for the crisis
in Ukraine is,” Philippe Migault, expert on Ukraine from the
University of International and Strategic Relations, told Sputnik
news agency after Gomart’s remarks were published.

Frants Klintsevich, of the United Russia party, said the report
showed US intelligence has been working to fulfill a political
order.

Meanwhile, on Friday five Northern European states, non-NATO
Finland and Sweden included, signed a declaration on the
expansion of military cooperation to counter “Russian
aggression against Ukraine.”

Since Finland and Sweden intend to interact with NATO on a
matching contribution basis, which might indicate a desire to
join the alliance, Moscow will view this declaration as an act of
aggression, Norwegian defense analyst Janne Haaland Matlary
warned.

“Finland and Sweden have also decided to keep their exercises
to NATO standards, which implies a step on the way toward NATO.
Today, there are no political grounds for them to join NATO,
public opinion is not frightened enough, and referendums will be
required. But what is happening now still looks like a
preparation for membership,” Matlary told Aftenposten
newspaper on Friday.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish military, Jarmo Lindberg,
said on Saturday that Russia hadn’t taken any steps that could be
regarded as a threat towards Finland. “Between St Petersburg
and the Kola Peninsula, Russia has only one airbase and one
warehouse with military equipment. If in the Soviet period there
were over 5,000 soldiers there, now there have been less than
5,000 military returned. It doesn’t play any crucial role on the
global scale,” Lindberg told a local TV channel, adding that
the nation has to reconsider its military readiness.